Re: Low power FMs

[Bob Nelson <bluesradio_99@yahoo.com>]

Low-powered radio is an interesting concept. It's
certainly been done illegally over the years (pirates).
Some micro-broadcasting is legal, like the flea-
powered transmitters a realtor may use to help sell a
house ("tune to AM 1620 to hear more")...or, remember
when drive-in theaters would have people tune to an
AM or FM frequency to get the film's sound right
over their car radio?

Sure, many groups and other people would like to have
such a station. In terms of church groups and the like,
some already do... recently I was up in Rutland,VT
and I saw the satellite dish and studios of WFTF
(90.5?), which was literally behind a church building.
But what the article is referring to would be stations
of much less power than that.

If such stations are indeed licensed, the FCC would
have to make sure they don't interfere with bigger
stations nearby. Pretty easy in, say, Rutland, VT...
but what about Boston where just about every frequency
is occupied (and those that aren't occupied by a
legal station probably have a pirate on there
anyway!)...

Of course, some groups, clubs, and organizations can
buy time, or get free time, from established stations.
For example, a few years ago, my own station, WMWM
(Salem, MA) broadcast live coverage of church services
from a church in Danvers (over a phone line), and
we know about groups like the Refuge Church of Christ
whose program can be heard just before LTAR on WJIB.
Again, groups (churches, youth groups, concerned
citizens) can get time for free or for a fee from
established stations...

But getting an actual license for an established
station? I'd be for it, ONLY if we can be
assured that existing stations won't get interference.





- ---Tony Abruzzese <abruzzese@med-biochem.bu.edu> wrote:

> Headline: Low-power FM radio stations for church groups, others mulled
> by FCC

_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

------------------------------